LOVE

 And I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and LOVE unto all the saints... (Eph 1: 1-15)

                "Covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as a sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE. FOLLOW AFTER LOVE..." (I Cor. 11:31; 12:1; 13:1). Here the Holy Spirit exhorts us to covet earnestly the best gifts, to desire spiritual gifts, they are a great blessing and edification along the journey, but don't make them your goal. Follow after LOVE, make LOVE your quest, as one translation puts it. Make love your goal, for there is more power in love than in all the gifts, and without it nothing else is of any value. Why is this? Because the greatest power of God is LOVE!

              We are wrong to suppose that gifts of the Spirit are proof of a man's or woman's godliness or greatness in God. We need to recall the definition of "gift." A gift is "something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation." If it is a gift. then it cannot be earned. If I give someone a check for $10,000.00, that gift says nothing about' what the person looks like, what kind of person they are, what they do, or their relationship to me. It does not say whether they are honest or deceitful, hardworking or lazy, wise or foolish, a friend or an enemy. It indicates that for some reason, known only to me. I am moved to be generous and helpful. A gift is not given because of the goodness or worthiness of the recipient, but because of the goodness and purpose of the giver! A gift says nothing about the recipient, but much about the donor.

And so it is in the Kingdom of God! While we were yet sinners and enemies in our minds by wicked works, God commended His love toward us and GAVE His only begotten Son to us! We were not worthy. We could do nothing to earn or merit His favor. "Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling." A gift is not a merit badge nor a badge of honor. A gift is free! There is no qualifying! There are no requirements! It is given only out of the heart of generosity and love of the giver! The gift of the Holy Ghost, and all the gifts of the Spirit are just that- they are gifts. They make no statement about the holiness, character~ worthiness, spiritual status, maturity or destiny of the recipient. Rather, they reflect the grace and power of God! God has given some of His gifts to the greatest of scoundrels! God is not gifts. The government of God does not operate by gifts. God graciously gives gifts, but gifts do not reveal the depths of His heart nor manifest the fullness of His power. A man might give someone $5,000.00. That would not disclose his true wealth. He might be broke after giving the gift, or he could be a multi-millionaire. Our Father is incredibly rich beyond anything we have ever seen in any of His gifts! God IS love!

                 Love is what God IS. Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they shall cease. Even in the realm of knowledge, it shall vanish away. But love NEVER FAILS! Love is omnipotent! Love will transform our natures and change us from the carnal, corruptible creatures that we are, into the incorruptible and divine. Love is ALL! Gifts can bless men in a variety of ways, but only love can reconcile all, redeem all, restore all, transform all, and finally make God ALL IN ALL. That is the omnipotence of love! Love is the power of the Kingdom of God!

                                           Sincerely in Christ, John

From Kindom Bible  Studies

By J. Preston Eby